Forgotten Memories
by The Eevee Lover
Summary: Though my memories of you are blurry, you are an important person to me. Even when you perish, our memories will live on. Ash's struggles with his lost father. One-shot!


**I never really write stories with feels. Or family. Or Ash, for that matter ;v; Welp, hope chu guys enjoy this! Ashy-Boy's P.O.V.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

It was a rainy day.

The storm was intense. Lightning struck in the distance, and while I was still wearing many layers of clothing, I shivered. The living room was dark, meaning the power went off a while ago. A few candles were lit, and as far as my memory can take me, I felt very uncomfortable. My parents weren't home. I was alone, with nothing to see and no one to talk to. My body felt stiff.

I jumped as the sound of a door creaking open awoke me from my thoughts. Not that there was much to think about. My mother walked in, soaking wet, even though she had taken her own umbrella with her. I couldn't see her expression from where I was, and the darkness surrounding us didn't help much, but I could see that she was staring at the ground. She left the door open, but as soon as she entered the small house, the wind forcefully closed the door, the banging sound it made echoing around us.

Her gaze continued on the ground. The atmosphere was dark. Her usually low ponytail wasn't there like how it was when she left the house, making her wet, red locks cover her entire face. She didn't dare look up at me. I wanted to ask "What happened?" But no words came out. Silence filled the room, the only sound being the storm outside.

Finally, she slowly looked up at me, her one and only son. I could see that what I thought was rain water on her face was actually tears. A waterfall of tears, I noticed.

She fell on her knees a second later, and my eyes filled with more worry. She covered her face with her hands, as if not wanting me to see it. I didn't want to move, but my legs carried me to her as fast as they could. I had never seen her so helpless. No words were exchanged, but I realized something.

 _My father wasn't there._

One year later, I was five years old. I was playing outside, my mother watching me from a distance. My parents used to play with me outside a lot, smiling as I climbed trees and caught bugs. Spotting something in the distance, I smile, quickly running over to it. Picking a flower off a bush, I run to my mother, seeing as she spaced out a bit. After calling out to her, she turns to me, and I give it to her. She smiled, taking it, before staring at it for a while. "Thank you," she quickly said, hesitating a bit before deciding to ruffle my hair, something she never did. _Only my father did that._

Still ruffling my hair, her hand slowly stopped, tears starting to pour out of her eyes, and she covered her face quickly. Though I had noticed it long before that. I stayed with her until she stopped, forcing my own tears not to fall. As soon as she stopped, I took one of her hands, and did the one thing that came to mind.

I smiled, because that was the only thing I could do.

As soon as I was ten years old, I could become a Pokémon Trainer. I knew that, yet I still couldn't do it. I wouldn't leave her alone, I _couldn't_ leave her alone. The very idea of that made me shake my head. My mother continuously insisted on me going, continuously said "I'm fine." I knew she wasn't. Many nights I can hear her crying from my own room, the sound echoing through my head the next day. I couldn't be happy knowing she wasn't, and knowing I couldn't do anything about it _sickened_ me. Soon that thought turned into anger. When she left the house, I would take the anger out on myself. I quickly lost my smile.

Five years later, I got caught. My mother dropped her groceries immediately, the wind slamming the door behind her. Just like that day. I was about to resort to something a lot more dangerous than usual. Tears poured down my mother's eyes, her expression just the same as the one from that day. Seeing that face again made me flinch. She ran over to me, caging me in her tight embrace, as if she never wanted to let me go. She wanted to scold me, but her words were caught with her tears. I stood there for a while, taking no response to my mother's action.

She let go of me after a while, her head bent down, staring at the floor tiles. Silence enveloped the dark room. She slowly looked up at me and, to my surprise, _she smiled at me._ A smile she only made when she was with _him._ An indescribable feeling filled my lungs, and I had the sudden urge to burst down in tears. So, I did.

I rested my head on her shoulder, me being much taller than her, and my arms stayed where they were, taking no action. Her own arms returned to my back, and she dared not to cry again. Instead, she continued smiling, even though I couldn't see it.

That night, I cried for the first time in 11 years, pouring out all the sadness and anger I had kept inside of me. And while he wasn't there to see it, my mother still comforted me, and I was happy for the first time in a long time.

I was 20 years old. Pokémon Master, with my Pikachu resting on my shoulder. It was another rainy night, the stars in the sky hidden above the clouds. The flower bouquet in my arms was getting wet, and so was I. Though I didn't care. My wet, jet black hair hiding my expression, and below me was the grave of my deceased father. Setting the wet flowers neatly on his grave, I was still on my knees in front of it. I lifted my head, a genuine smile on my face.

After the years of struggle I've lived through in my life, I learned something. Though I can't see you, you've been there. Though I don't realize it, there will always be someone with me. Every struggle I live through will make me stronger. Though you're not here, I will live on, and continue smiling while I still can.

Even though I can't remember the sound of your voice, I will be happy with what I have.

 **Darn it got more depressing as I went on. Hope you all liked it, and maybe it even taught you a lesson? Please tell me how I can improve x3 Please R &R! They're very appreciated!**


End file.
